


A Song of Fortune

by shaun056



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Harry Potter, Curses, Gen, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), Murder Mystery, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:36:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24493615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shaun056/pseuds/shaun056
Summary: 2010. Harry is head of the Auror Department. With paperwork and endless meetings dragging him down, he longs for the day when he can handle a case on his own instead of being stuck in the office. A chance comes however when Nevile calls him to a case that will see him tested to his limit, when his past comes back to haunt him and the future is not as black and white as he'd want.





	A Song of Fortune

A Song of Fortune

BY Shaun056

CHAPTER ONE

Trouble at Millborough Creek.

Thursday mornings were rather frustrating affairs Harry found. More often than not he'd arrive in the office with about a hundred memo's all asking him to attend various meetings that, happenstance all seemed to take place at the same time. He didn't know what it was about scheduling in the Ministry that made his blood boil. Perhaps the high ups thought that everyone would be too relaxed on a Friday that no serious work would get done, so they moved all the important meetings to Thursday instead.

Whatever the reason, Harry hated it. He hated the constant and ever present beaurocracy of it all that hadn't collapsed after the ministry had been reformed. It had been too long since he had been assigned a case he himself could work on. Instead he spent day after day attending meetings, writing reports and delegating tasks to his subordinates.

Sometimes he liked to take an hour off and apparate somewhere remote, just to wander and pretend that he had an important case to solve. These respites were certainly worth it, until he eventually arrived back at the office and lo and behold received another pile of memos asking him for everything and the moon. More often than not his day would begin by apparating into the Ministry, ignoring everyone before shut himself in his office and tried to work on whatever was being asked of him that day. Until someone knocked on his door asking about curses or certain dark wizards that may have been sighted only for an auror to get there and find out that it was a scarecrow with an irate Augurey stuck inside.

This Friday was no different that those that preceded it. Ginny had left earlier than him due to the strict training regiment so he made his breakfast of eggs and bacon, had a quick read of the Morning Prophet as he brushed his teeth over the sink then left the apartment he shared with Ginny and apparated to the ministry. Auror office. His office. Door closed.

It was only an hour and a half into his day when someone came to disrupt his work. He hardly noticed the knock on his door, heavily invested as he was in a memo about potential Dragon egg smuggling. He was already composing a memo berating the sender for wasting his time when it could have been sent to the Department for the Control an Regulation of Magical Creatures when the knocker rapped again.

He sighed deeply, looking at the memo's that had arrived on his desk since he had left yesterday evening. A Goblin Feud... well Smith can take that one on, fight outside the Hogs Head, that was hardly Auror territory.

'Come in.' Harry said while trying to keep the anger and vitriol of his uncomposed memo in his mind.

'Sorry sir, it's just... a case just came in. I think it's something you want to look at.

Hector Crawley, young wizard, not technically an auror but someone who managed all the admin the Auror department generated. Still, he had a good grasp of how the Auror office worked and for that Harry was grateful.

'Isn't there someone in the field that can look into it? Chambers? Vance?'

'The message _came_ from an agent in the field sir, Neville. He's asking for you specifically.'

Harry knew Neville would only call him if there was nothing he himself could do. After Harry, Neville was probably the most experienced Auror on the team. Which was saying something after their school years together.

'Where is he?' Harry asked, picking up his quill and turning it over in his hand.

'A place called Millborough Creek sir, just outside Derby.'

Though his heart was racing as adrenaline flew through him, Harry tried, perhaps a bit too inconspicuously, to seem aloof. Yet his heart was racing. What was this but an excuse to get out into the field with one of his best friends and solve a case? Just like the old days when Ron still worked here.

He stood, rather abruptly in fairness, knocking his desk with his knees and causing the memos to tumble to the ground. A quick wave of his wand saw them neatly lined upon the table yet again. He was fortunate that Hector could not detect his enthusiasm. Or maybe he could and was just letting Harry have this on for himself.

He waved his wand, cleaning his glasses of any detritus that may have collected there after his breakfast.

'I'll be down as soon as possible, tell Meadows she's coming with me.'

Polly Meadows was a newly trained auror, less than a year out of initial training. She was a master of deductive spellwork and had saved Harry's life on more than one occasion. 

'Yes sir.'

'Neville say anything about what the case is?'

'No sir.'

'Any immediate danger?'

'No sir.'

Aurors had a very easy system for determining whether a particular case required combative action. It had been one of Harrys first actions as head of the Auror department. Though he could hardly take full responsibility for it's success. Hermione had created the Protean charm in their fifth year after all.

Still, the fact that Neville wasn't in any immediate danger meant that Harry could take his time making sure his cloak was fastened correctly. It may have been June but that didn't meant the weather was anything to celebrate. If Harry had walked into work today he would have drowned before he reached the end of the street.

While he was lost in his head, Hector had withdrawn from his office, and a young witch with curly blonde hair had taken his place.

'Afternoon sir, any idea what we're going up against.'

'None I'm afraid Polly. Keep your wand steady but I don't think we'll be under attack as soon as we get there.

Finally sure he had dressed, Harry too withdrew from the office, tapped the handle twice with his wand locking it and headed out of the Auror office to a golden elevator. As he passed through the corridor linking the other deparment's on the floor a voice called out behind him.

'Potter.'

Thinking that Hector was calling him again, Harry turned. Instead of seeing Hector's buttoned up robes and rimmed glasses, the gaunt face of one of Harrys least favourite person came into view.

Rabanus Hawthorne was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and had been in the job for as long as Harry had been in the ministry. His face was thin, cheeks hollow and his scratchy facial hair mirroring the scratchy yet greasy hair on his head. Behind Hawthorne was his secretary, or personal assistant Isabella Pye. Harry didn't know Hawthorne that much personally but he had spent a bit of time with Isabella and knew her to be an enthusiastic if not incredibly anxious helper. Her robes were buttoned up almost as tightly as Hector's had been. Hair tied back into a tight bun and glasses on her face that mirrored Hector's almost perfectly.

She was almost an exact clone of Hector though Harry knew Hector to be a lot more relaxed when not at work. Isabella carried her anxiety with her everywhere she went.

Of the times Harry and Hawthorne had worked together. Well.. the best thing Harry could say was that he got the job done. Though there had been a severe reshuffling of how the ministry worked after the war, Hawthorne had somehow slipped through. He was never a Voldemort supporter of that Harry was positive. Still, it didn't mean he was any less slimy and disgusting.

'Ah, Hawthorne I didn't expect you back so soon.'

'Yes well, I got an early Portkey. The weather was too much for me, far too much.'

'Egypt didn't agree with you then?'

Hawthorne shook his head. His eyes were speckled with dark and though his skin did look a lot browner than when Harry had last seen him his demeanour was clearly one of a man who had returned from a long trip.

'Lovely people, horrible place. Too sandy, too hot. Still, made a bit of an impression on the Egyptian ministry, but, that's political talk no one's supposed to know about yet. You off?'

'Special call sir, Neville's found something he thinks I should have a look at.'

Hawthorne's eyes spotted Polly behind him, he smirked. ' I thought you were a married man Potter? Shame on you... though....' his voice lowered to an almost whisper 'once you're done with her... I wouldn't mind having a go.'

And here came the slime. Harry had heard of Hawthorne's debauched escapades in the past. How he had slept with a junior obliviator and caused her to break up with her fiancé, how he had slept with a witch from The Daily Prophet causing her to drop a slanderous story she was writing.

All without evidence. If there was one good thing Hawthorne excelled at was keeping any physical evidence well hidden. In a twisted way Harry commended him for it.

Still, this was something he was not going to let Hawthorne get away with. He shook his head and glanced at Polly with an expression that he hoped said _'I'm sorry, let me deal with this.'_

'Please sir, I don't think that's at all appropriate.'

Hawthorne laughed 'Hmph! Back in the old day's people wouldn't have said no to a rough and tumble. Keeps an old man young. She doesn't mind do you girl?'

'I-'

'Her name is Polly sir. Polly Meadows.'

Hawthorne scoffed.

'Well..., I only wanted to ask you if you've seen that memo about the dragon smuggling? Flemming from the Department for Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures was bugging me about all trip. About fifty owls he sent me.'

'I think it was sixty.' Isabella said behind him flipping through a notepad.

'Sixty yes,... thank you Pye. Sixty owls he sent to me whilst we were in Egypt. I'd almost had enough before I promised you'd get someone to look into it.'

'Isn't that something Flemming could deal with? It's not really our department and we're swamped as it is.'

'The smugglers were using unforgiveable curses to bring the Dragon Eggs into the country. Which you would have known if you had read the memo correctly. I want some decent legwork done on the case by Monday.'

Harry gave a resigned sigh. 'Of course sir.'

Hawthorne took a brief lascivious look at Polly before turning his heels and walking away curtly, Isabella scribbling on her notepad in his wake as he dictated to her.

'What a-'

'Shall we get going?' Harry interjected. Polly took a look at Harry then laughed.

'How did _he_ become head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?'

Harry sighed, ringing the button for the magical lift to take them down to the Atrium.

'Nepotism I'd wager. As far as I know he was pretty much a nobody in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. War ends and his old school mate is elected minister for magic so my guess is he's schmoozed up to Kingsley and got the gig. I'd be fair to him and say he's actually done a fairly good job but... well... you've met him.'

As they spoke the lifts had carried them down to the Atrium. At this time, it was pretty quite, a few witches and wizards passed here and there greeting Harry was they did.

At the end of the atrium before the golden grille, stood the statue of The Forgotten. A beautifully ornate statue showing a Wizard, Witch, house elf and Goblin holding hands and smiling out at any visitors arriving.

Etched on a small silver plaque were words chosen by Harry almost twelve years ago.

_"You think the dead we loved truly ever leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly in times of great trouble?" -Albus Dumbledore. 1993._

The smiling statue shone with a light Harry didn't really understand. When he had time, he would sit on the edge of the fountain and look at the words etched upon the plaque. They had given him countless moments of respite at times of untold stress and frustration.

Eventually, they reached the end of the atrium. A dark green slated wall where apparitions were allowed.

'Where are we heading then sir?' Polly asked.

'Millborough Creek, just outside of Derby. Remember wands out but we shouldn't expect any danger.'

'Yes sir.' Polly said.

They turned on the spot and the dusty, unclean air of the ministry was almost instantly replaced by the damp air of the countryside.

They were standing at the end of a long pathway leading up to an impressive stately home. Though some of the stonework looked like it needed work and several window frames were splotched with dirt it was still an imposing figure. Harry and Polly appeared not to be the first people here either. Around the garden were several wizards from the The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad taking pictures of the garden and house. Several walking out of the house with strange devices that whirred and squeaked whilst held. They noticed Harry and Polly and merely nodded. One of them, said 'Neville's waiting for you inside Harry.'

More ministry wizards were inside the grand Tudor entrance hall. Again, one wizard was taking photos of a pair of what looked like bloodied footprints that seemed to be climbing the stairs. Following the footsteps to its source, through a arched door and into what appeared to be an elaborate dining room Harry found Neville.

Though he still had somewhat of a round face, these days Neville had taken gruff as his middle name. His shoulders were broad, his chin, still fighting off the plumpness of his youth, had started to narrow, dotted with gruff facial hair which, although similar to Hawthorne's looked to have been cleaned in the past few days.

The dining room itself was quite grand. In the centre stood an elaborately carved pine table with five similar chairs around it.

With five diners sat around it.

Neville himself was looking over one of the figures with a small magnifying glass. On noticing Harry he collapsed it and rolled it back into the sleeve of his robe.

'Dinner party?' Harry asked.

'Except every one of them is dead.' Neville said grimly 'All died within 2 seconds of each other I'd say. They didn't even have time to defend themselves. They would have heard some commotion, there's a broken window in the adjacent room, we're guessing that's how the killer got in. But why the footprints became bloody I can't say.'

'Any witnesses?' Harry said withdrawing his own magnifying glass to look at an aged man sat at the head of the table.

'Well one...' Neville said 'The house elf, but she's not really making any sense.

'When do witnesses in our job ever make sense?'

'Fair point.'

There was nothing about the body that Harry was observing that suggested that anything spectacular had happened. The only thing he found of note was that he had an expression of pure shock etched onto his face.

'Thoughts Polly?'

Polly took a moment took look around the room and then several of the bodies that were sat around the table.

'Someone broke in... killing curse was used, that's quite obvious. No one here defended themselves... in fact I'd say...' she reached into the pocked of the woman sat closest to her. 'Their wands were still in their pockets. Whoever did it was quick. Very quick. Again, I don't know where the bloody footprints came from. Unless the killer cut themselves on purpose? To fool us?'

'It's a sloppy job if so.' Neville said 'They could have gotten away with it if it weren't for the bloody footprints... and for leaving a witness.'

Standing up straight Harry scratched the stubble on his chin. It was a shoddy job, but one that had reminded him of a murder he heard about when he was younger. Well, heard is a rather off term for something he dreamt about. The Riddle family, all sat in their best around a table all dead. Was it a copy cat killer? If it hadn't have been for the footprints Harry would have assumed so. But there _had_ been footprints, and the victims _were_ wizards. That theory was out before it even started.

'Polly I want a detailed report on every inch of this house. Start in the room where they entered. I don't want a single stone left uncovered. Neville where's the house elf?'

'In the Kitchen. But like I said she's not making much sense.'

Harry nodded. Neville, taking Harrys nod as an request, moved aside and out of the room. Harry followed.

The kitchen was a rather dull affair. Cloudy grey and white tiling surrounded a large wooden table where the evidence of the meal that the house elf must have last prepared lay. In the corner, being consoled by a member of the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad was a young house elf. Puffs of white hair on her head and wearing a blue and yellow dress that may have fit a toddler.

'Teely saw it! Teely saw it with her own two eyes. She knows she did. She isn't lying!'

The wizard consoling her gave Harry a reproachful look but moved aside allowing him to kneel down in front of the elf.

'Teely?' Harry asked but the elf just sobbed 'Teely my name is Harry Potter, I work for the Ministry of Magic.'

Teely looked up. Her bright green eyes were hopeful for probably half a second before she burst into tears again.

'Teely is going to be taken away! That is why you are here! Teelys family is gone and now Teely must pay!'

'I am not here to arrest you Teely. I want to ask you some questions.'

'Wha...what questions?'

'Did you see what happened to your family?'

'She killed them. All of them. She was a dark witch very dark. Teely had never seen her move before but perhaps Teely did not look properly?'

'What Witch killed her? Teely?'

'No Harry Potter sir! Teely is a disgrace... Teely let her family die! Teely should be given... given...' Teely shuddered then burst into tears again.

Harry had had several experiences dealing with House Elves since he left Hogwarts. Talking over her howelering would not help so he let her ride of the yelps before coming to a slow, trembling stop.

'Teely, who killed your family?'

Harry could see tears beginning to swell again in Teely's eyes 'The witch... the witch in the painting.'

**Author's Note:**

> Please read and review! My first fic in a long while :)


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